


Homerun Summer

by brightblackholes



Category: High School Musical (Movies)
Genre: I don't dance references, M/M, Post-Graduation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-12
Updated: 2019-08-12
Packaged: 2020-08-19 17:47:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20213788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brightblackholes/pseuds/brightblackholes
Summary: After graduation, Ryan finds himself at the East High baseball diamond reflecting.  Someone else finds him there, too.Written for writer's month day 7: sports





	Homerun Summer

**Author's Note:**

> I've been in a HSM mood recently for no reason, so here comes a fic!
> 
> Written for writer's month day 7: sports

Ryan looks over the baseball diamond, basking in the glow of the sunset. Graduation has come and gone, soon to be a tiny blip in his life, and now he's the only one left hanging around the school. He had wanted to spend some time in the theater by himself, without Sharpay's suffocating presence of the energy of any other student. He had to have time to say goodbye. Now that that’s done, he’s taking a moment to collect himself at a place that he never actually got to play.

It's strange to consider that he's walked through the halls of East High for the last time as a student, and possibly his last time ever. As turbulent as his high school years were, they were a significant part of his life, and it's strange to consider that he'll soon be across the country instead of in the desert. If all goes as planned, he'll choreograph for Broadway someday. That means that he'll only be back in New Mexico for family visits. New York is going to be his permanent home.

He wonders if people at Juilliard have as much school spirit as those at East High. He supposes that it isn't going to be the same kind. There are no school sports there, and the East High school spirit is almost fully centered around being a Wildcat on a team. As much as Troy's time with the theater department made the whole school more inclusive and finally put clubs and the arts in the mind of the student body as a whole, basketball still reigns supreme. Not even the baseball team, which Ryan happens to know had an amazing season this year, comes close to touching the notoriety of the basketball team. Not even when one of the best baseball players also happens to be the second star of the basketball team.

"Didn't think I'd find you here, Evans," said star says, breaking Ryan out of his reverie.

"Shouldn't you be in the gym, Danforth? I thought the baseball diamond is reserved for dancing now," he replies. Chad flops down next to him on the bench, sprawling lazily in a way that portrays all of the confidence and swagger that Ryan wishes he has.

That isn’t to say that Ryan doesn’t have confidence. He definitely does, and he knows how to strut better than anyone on America's Next Top Model, but Chad wears the comfort that he has in his own skin differently.

It's undeniably attractive, to be honest.

"I saw you at some of our baseball games," Chad says. "If you wanted there to be dancing, you should’ve been playing out here with me."

"You know I chose theater a long time ago," Ryan says, heart doing a slight flip. "Baseball is fun, but it got hard to do both at the same time, and I wanted to excel, not be average at both. A jack of all trades is a master of none, after all."

"Better than being a master of one."

Ryan looks at him out of the corner of his eye.

"You don't get into Juilliard by being mediocre at baseball."

Chad shrugs.

"If you say so. Congrats, by the way."

"Thanks."

"You really deserve that. You and Kelsey both. The musical wouldn't have been anywhere near that level without you."

"Well, your dancing deserves some credit."

Chad laughs, loud against the empty field. It's a nice sound. Ryan heard a lot of it the past summer, and it's unfortunate that they both got so busy in the school year. They didn't quite loose touch, but there are times when Ryan wishes that they spoke more. They saw each other every day in class, and sometimes at rehearsal, and Ryan may have specifically been watching for Chad when he would make an appearance at a sporting event (not that Chad ever had to know), but he would have liked more than that. Chad is cute and fun, and Ryan never got to explore it as much as he would have liked.

"Are you going to hold that dancing thing over me forever?" Chad asks. Ryan quirks an eyebrow and tries to contain his smile.

"Maybe. You did make a very convincing argument when you pranced to first base during that game last summer. I saw some twirls. It barely took any teaching to get you dancing like a pro in the shows."

"Well, it's easy when you have a good example to follow."

Ryan might be blushing. Hopefully Chad can't see it in the light of the setting sun. Maybe he can blame it on sunburn, even though he would never allow one to form. He cares about his skin too much.

"Don't be getting bashful on me now, Evans. Where's that signature family arrogance?" Chad knocks their shoulders together, and if anything that makes it worse.

"Sharpay has all of the arrogance right now. Please check back later if you're still interested." Chad chuckles again, and then silence falls between them. It's comfortable. More comfortable than maybe it should be, given their history.

Of course, now Ryan is thinking about his unfortunately persistent crush, and changing clothes with Chad after last summer's baseball game _"in a show of goodwill and to go along with tradition."_

He'll get over the crush while he's in New York. But right now, he doesn't really want that. He wants to see Chad a bit more over the summer. Play a few baseball games. Grab dinner sometimes. Maybe, if he's allowed, hold a hand.

It's silly, because Chad is just another dumb jock and the world is full of those, but none of the other ones can meet Ryan challenge for challenge like Chad can, and none of the other ones have that shade of brown eyes.

Of course, Chad is straight. Ryan has no reason to believe otherwise. Sharpay has told him multiple times that he can't keep reading into each prolonged eye contact in homeroom or each slightly suggestive comment. He knows this, but it can be hard to remember.

The sunset sky makes his hair look more like a halo. Chad is already looking over at him when he turns.

"You busy this summer, Evans?" Chad asks.

"Just hanging around Lava Springs," Ryan says. "Why, you want a job there again?"

"Absolutely not," Chad says. "But I wouldn't mind some sort of rematch. Maybe a few of them." Ryan looks at him, considering, but there's only good humor in his eyes, not any sort of malicious teasing or joking.

"I'd be down," he says. "But that's a lot of sports for someone who's going to Juilliard. Since it doesn't sound like I'd get anything out of it besides the pleasure of your company, how about this: I'll give you that rematch if you go swing dancing with me."

"Swing dancing? Evans, I thought you knew me better than that," Chad says, shaking his head.

"You don't dance?" Ryan asks. "I think we both know that's not true, but you can prove it to me. Swing dancing, Thursday. I can pick you up. If it's awful, you never have to do it again. We'll play baseball all summer."

"Is this a challenge or a date?" Chad asks. Ryan looks at the hint of a smile on Chad's face and wonders if he's been in denial this whole time. Sharpay, after all, has never been shown to have accurate gaydar, as much as she tries.

"Why can't it be both?" he asks. Chad's face splits into a full grin and Ryan's breath almost catches, but he tries to maintain his cool cover.

"Alright, you're on," Chad says. “Thursday. Swing dancing. You can pick me up in your fancy car and we’ll see where the night takes us.”

Ryan's smile can't be contained anymore, and even though he tries to turn away to hide it Chad laughs and bumps their shoulders together again.

If swing dancing and the baseball game after go well, maybe this isn't going to be the end of sports for Ryan. Maybe he'll have another reason to come back to Albuquerque.

As the sun sets over the baseball field, Ryan sends a quick thanks up for organized sports and that stupid Wildcat spirit. He got a date with one of the cutest guys in school because of it, so this summer is looking up.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are always appreciated!
> 
> Find this story on Tumblr [here](https://themaevethcometh.tumblr.com/post/186949403733/homerun-summer)


End file.
